Cinch straps, or cable ties, are used frequently to secure together items such as bundles of wires or cables, or to secure wires or cables to objects. For example, when two or more wires are run along a common path, to ensure an orderly appearance cinch straps or cable ties are used to bind the wires or cables together. Similar straps can be used to secure one or several wires or cables to a frame, pipe or other object fixed in position relative to the wires. In this way, the wires can be held in an inconspicuous location, and can be protected from dangerous entanglements or other damage.
Double latch cable ties are known in which a latching mechanism has two latching receptacles, permitting separate bundling of two groups of wires or cables. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,669 teaches a cable tie having a flexible strap secured at one end to a locking frame having two strap accommodating openings therethrough. The strap is of sufficient length to first encircle one group of wires, to be inserted through a first strap accommodating opening in the locking frame, and then around a second group of wires and finally through the second strap accommodating opening in the locking frame. Thus, two groups of wires are secured on opposite sides of the locking frame by a single, double-latch cable tie.
U.S. Design Pat. 255,782 shows another double latching cable strap in which separate latching structures are provided at right angles to each other, at one end of the strap.
While straps of the type described are useful in securing individual groups or bundles of wires, cables and the like, in some situations it is desirable to provide fixed dimensioned encirclements so that when a plurality of straps are used each is tightened to the same degree, to form encirclements of the same size. Further, in some situations it is desirable and even necessary, to secure the bundled items relatively loosely, to prevent crushing. In the sometimes hectic, rapid pace environments of assembly lines, it is often difficult to ensure that a fixed level of tightening is established.
What is needed in the art is a cinch strap providing multiple encirclements, at least some with fixed minimum diameters.